[File Photo]

Exporting from the Lautoka Port to Australia will now be easier.

This comes as the western port has been included in the Sea Container Hygiene System.

Biosecurity Authority of Fiji Chief Executive Michael Bartlett says under the system, sea containers are cleaned at recognized SCHS facilities prior to transport to the port for hygienic storage until loading, in accordance with required protocols.

He says with ongoing compliance, external sea container inspections upon arrival could reduce to as low as five percent, resulting in cost savings for Fijian businesses and faster movement of containers at the wharves.

Bartlett says BAF has been working hard over the years to extend the SCHS to Lautoka Port and improve processes for exporters.

The system has already been successfully implemented at the Port of Suva, which Bartlett says has resulted in container inspections into Australia being reduced by 95 percent in recent years.

Australia’s Charge d’Affaires in Fiji Stuart Watts says an important element of the Vuvale Partnership is supporting increased trade between Australia and Fiji.

Fiji Australia Business Council President Vera Chute welcomed the announcement, saying the council had been advocating for improvements to container processing times for Fijian exports.